The Best Maternity Leggings to Complete Your Pregnancy Wardrobe

Posted on July 5, 2021

Whether you’re headed to the gym, the couch or an errand run, these cute, comfy maternity leggings will take you where you need to go.

When the athleisure trend took the fashion world by storm, pregnant women everywhere rejoiced. The ongoing fad has made comfy, stretchy maternity leggings (that are still super-chic) more accessible than ever. Leggings are a must-have item for moms-to-be who like to work up a sweat. But they’re not just for the gym: Leggings are also a great alternative to maternity jeans on days when you need a little extra stretch.

Before you invest in a pair of maternity leggings, think about your comfort needs and preferences. There are two main types of pregnancy leggings on the market:

• Under-the-bump maternity leggings: These maternity leggings are low-waisted and rest just under your baby bump. Under-the-bump leggings have a super stretchy waistband that offers moms-to-be gentle support. These are often great for earlier on in pregnancy when your belly isn’t big enough to fill out an over-the-bump style.

Beyond Yoga Maternity Empire Waisted Spacedye Midi Leggings

$105

If you’re looking for your next go-to pair of maternity leggings, check out this must-have from Beyond Yoga. The leggings are made from buttery-soft performance fabric that’s cozy enough to lounge in and durable enough to work out in. It wicks moisture away to keep you cool and offers a four-way stretch to keep you comfy. The midi length hits just above the ankles and the empire waist covers your belly for maximum support.

BUY FROM ZAPPOS

Best Cheap Maternity Leggings

$15

Since you’re only going to wear your maternity clothes for a finite amount of time, you may not want to blow your budget on basic pieces that cost a pretty penny. Check out the maternity leggings at H&M. The stores sell everything from “ Treggings,” (denim-look leggings) and faux-leather pairs to seamless sports maternity leggings. But our go-tos are these eco-conscious pants. They may be made from organic cotton jersey, but they’re so affordable, you can stock up on several pairs at once. The best part? These maternity leggings have a soft and stretchy foldover waistband.

BUY FROM H&M

Best Maternity Jeggings

$88

Love the look of skinny jeans but need more than a little give? Opt for SPANX’s super-stretchy maternity jeggings. The smoothing fabric and over-the-bump band are designed to make you feel fully supported but definitely not squeezed. That makes these denim-look maternity leggings comfy but still more refined than a regular cotton pair.

BUY FROM GILFRIEND

0 comments

14 non-alcoholic drinks made for celebrating

Posted on April 26, 2021

Whether you’re pregnant, sober or just want something special to drink (minus the booze), these tasty wines, spirits and mocktails have you covered.

We giggle at #WineMom memes as much as the next parent, but there’s something to be said about staying sober while still celebrating (Hello, 6 a.m. toddler wake-up calls!). Raise a glass without worry by pouring one of these tasty non-alcoholic drinks.

Here are our faves!

Ceder’s

Gin-lovers rejoice! You may not bother with the real stuff after sipping this distilled, non-alcoholic alt-gin. Seriously, this stuff is so good. Choose from Classic, Crisp or, our favourite, Wild, which has juniper combined with ginger, clove and rooibos. Developed by a husband and wife duo, it’s made from a variety of 18 hand-picked South African botanicals, found in the Cederberg

mountains of the Western Cape, along with others sourced throughout Europe. The botanicals are individually distilled and then blended with pristine water from Sweden to extract the finest flavours.

Buy This Drink

Partake

Love craft beer but hate the hangover a few too many pints leaves you with? With Blonde, IPA, Stout, Pale and Red to choose from, this Canadian-made craft brewer offers low-cal, non-alcoholic versions of your favourite brews. $25/pack of 10 multipack

Buy This Drink

Seedlip spirits

Made with the same care and attention as a bespoke spirit, these non-alcoholic beverages are based on the recipes from the 17th-century book The Art of Distillation. Choose from Garden 108, a fresh and floral blend of handpicked peas and hay from founder Ben Branson’s farm; Spice 94, a distilled Jamaican allspice berry and cardamom mixture, which pairs perfectly with tonic and red grapefruit; or Grove 42, a citrusy blend of blood orange, mandarin, lemon and ginger.

Buy This Drink

Lumette! non-alcoholic distilled spirit

Handcrafted and distilled using traditional methods on Vancouver Island, these tasty spirits claim to deliver the same experience as a contemporary-style botanical based spirit, with zero percent alcohol. The new London Dry is perfect for gin-lovers with a juniper citrus-forward flavour, while the Bright Light is distilled with a bounty of botanicals giving you the uniqueness and versatility of an aromatic spirit.

Buy This Drink

pink House Alchemy Ginger Shrub

Many mixologists use shrubs to enhance the flavour of spirits, but this “sipping vinegar” can also play a starring role in your glass. Simply add soda and a slice of candied ginger and you’ve got an impressive-looking mocktail.

Buy This Drink

0 comments

15 Pregnancy Outfits That Are Cute and (Most Importantly) Comfortable

Posted on April 11, 2021

Whether you’re in your 1st trimester or 3rd, it can be a challenge find clothing that makes you feel good when you’re pregnant. That’s why we’ve gathered some cute pregnancy outfit ideas to get you through all nine months. These maternity clothes range from blouses you can wear to work to cute midi dresses you can wear on the weekend. The most important thing about all of these pieces is that they will not only having you looking great, but you’ll also be totally comfortable.

Here are our faves!

Maternity Shorts

Don’t be afraid to try one of summer’s biggest trends: the Bermuda short. When paired with a classic t-shirt, you’ll be stylish, but more importantly, super comfortable.

Buy Now At motherhood.com

Red Midi Wrap Maternity Dress

You can adjust this floral wrap dress as your bump grows. We love that it’s perfect for any occasion, all you have to do is dress up or dress down your accessories.

Buy Now At seraphine.com

Maternity Full Panel Khaki Straight

Trying to find something cute and casual while in your 3rd trimester? This pair of khakis is the answer.

Buy Now At Gap!

Peplum Button Down Shirt

Roll the sleeves on this peplum button down, add a loafer, and you’ll have a polished outfit without too much effort.

Buy Now At Ingrid & Isabel!

EveryWear Ribbed Tank Maternity Dress

This simple tank dress will carry you through your pregnancy. If you need to dress it up, add a stacked heel and statement earring, if you’re running errands, wear a comfy sandal and a crossbody bag.

Buy Now At Ingrid & Isabel!

0 comments

6 Ways to Adapt Your Birth Plan During the Pandemic

Posted on March 2, 2021

Developing a birth plan is important for pregnant women to share their concerns, fears and get information about labor, birth and postpartum procedures.

Here are 6 ways you can adapt your birth plan during the pandemic:

Choosing Your Hospital

Look into a hospital’s birth protocol. Here are questions to ask before registering with them:

Are patients allowed birth partners?
Who can visit?
What happens if you test positive for COVID-19?
What happens if my baby and I get complications?
What has changed with regards to hospital operations?
Will I be discharged early? If so, what support is in place for follow-ups?
What should I pack in my hospital bag?

Inquire if your partner is allowed to stay with you through birth and during the postpartum process and what provisions they have for that.

0 comments

Build a Minimialist Feng Shui Nursery with These Tips

Posted on February 23, 2021

woman in nursery holding her baby, sitting on her ottoman with a white crib near by with carpet

I hate clutter.

I am also a minimalist.

My motto is to keep everything in its place.

I’ve followed some Feng Shui techniques in the past, but to keep it simple, I used to just try my hardest to keep the children’s toys in their rooms or their basement playroom.

I keep all books, papers and office materials in my home office; all clothes in closets, hampers or laundry room etc. And if an item finds its way out of place, I put it back where it belongs, promptly. I am a firm believer that clutter creates disorder and chaos and an settled mind.

Ohdeedoh did a great post years about Feng shuing your baby’s nursery that seemed helpful to me. Essentially, it took all the most sensible, practical advice

and enumerated into a simple checklist I loved!

Check out these awesome tips which I know to non-believers in the ancient Chinese principles and techniques may seem a bit odd or different, but those who have some some basic rudimentary studying of it will get it.

WATER PURIFIER COLLEGE DORM ESSENTIALS PACKING LIST

I recommend starting with Feng Shui: Reference to Go: 50 Ways to Create a Healthy and Harmonious Home and go from there.

Common-sense things you’re probably already doing:

:: Use natural materials whenever possible for bedding, curtains, flooring, rugs, furniture, and toys.

:: Keep drawers and closets organized and pruned of too-small and out-of-season clothing.

:: Have different sources of light in the nursery, some for daytime and others for evening and nighttime.

:: Limit the electrical appliances near the crib. This includes various monitors, air filters, vaporizers, fans, etc.

:: Open windows daily for good ventilation.

:: Influse scents from essential oils like chamomile, rose, vanilla or lavender.

Some more interesting tips you might also want to try:

:: Invest in a mattress made of natural organic materials.

Photo of a natural crib in a room with natural light

:: Choose a soft shade of green, blue, pink, orange or beige for the walls.

:: No reds, yellows, grays, or blacks.

:: Bed sheets should be soothing colors.

:: Bright red is a no-no.

:: Soft blue is recommended.

Hope these tips are helpful.

0 comments

EXPECTANT & NEW MOM GUIDE TO FILING TAXES THIS YEAR

Posted on January 11, 2021

It’s tax filing season and if you are expecting or just had a new baby, there are some expenses related to your journey to parenthood that you may or may not know about.

The fact of the matter is that babies do in fact change your tax situation and here are a few tax tax deductions and credits available to families this year.

Before Baby

Pregnancy Test Kits. Birth Control Pills. Fertility Enhancement. These count as medical expense deductions. For medical expenses to be deductible, you’ll have to itemize your tax deductions, and your medical expenses must exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income.

Expecting Baby

Nursing moms can include the cost of breast pumps and supplies in their medical expense deductions. Lactation expenses are also deductible as are laboratory fees that may be a part of your medical care.

The New Arrival

The tax deduction that comes with your new arrival can’t match the joy, but this still should make you happy.

Under the new tax law, the child tax credit has doubled to $2,000 per qualifying child. And, unlike a tax deduction, which reduces the amount of your income subject to tax, a tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar.

Planning for Baby’s Future

The new tax law lets parents save tax-free for their child’s education. Under the law you can use up to $10,000 per child from a 529 plan to pay qualified expenses for elementary and secondary school and home school.

The 529 plans can also be used to pay for college.

Speaking of college, if you want to think that far ahead, two tax credits are available to help with qualified educational expenses. Those credits are the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides a credit of up to $2,500 for qualified tuition and expenses for the first four years of college, and the Lifetime Learning Credit, which provides up to $2,000 per return.

I apologize if I’ve gotten too far ahead of you by talking about schooling and college and all those things. I’ll bring it back to the here and now by reminding you that whether your bundle of joy is born on January 1 or December 31 of the year, you can take a full $2,000 child tax credit.

And remember, as your child grows, the tax code is bound to change. You’ll want to make sure you get all the tax deductions to which your family is entitled. The best way to do that is to talk with a tax professional. It’s their job to keep up with the tax code. And, because they do their job, you can do yours, enjoying life with your new addition

0 comments

How the Trump Tax Law Impacts Your Child Deductions

Posted on March 5, 2020

You might have heard that having a dependent doesn’t do you much good anymore, at least from 2018 through 2025, thanks to tax legislation passed by congress in December 2017.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that became effective in 2018 does indeed eliminate the personal exemption that used to be available for each of your dependents.

But the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit are all still alive and well, and having a dependent is critical to qualifying for each of them.

And if you and your baby’s other parent aren’t married and living together, your dependent might help qualify you as head of household, an advantageous filing status.

Your baby will qualify as your dependent more or less by default under the remaining IRS rules for qualifying child dependents.

A dependent must be your son or daughter, brother or sister, or a descendant of one of these individuals. You’ve got this one covered if you’ve just given birth.
The child must be younger than age 19 on the last day of the tax year, or age 24 if a full-time student. Your baby obviously qualifies here, too.
Finally, the child cannot have provided more than half their own financial support for the year. This should not be an issue unless and until child labor laws radically change.

So, yes, having a dependent is still a good thing at tax time, and yes, your newborn will qualify you if you meet these rules…even if your baby is born at the 11th hour of the year.

source

0 comments

Last Minute Guide to Dressing for Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on November 28, 2019

If you are expecting this Thanksgiving and are toting around a sizeable bump, God knows you may not be looking forward to standing on your feet preparing a meal and hopefully, you have been invited to someone else’s home this year and/or your family is giving you a pass on cooking so you can just kick up your feet and relax.

GET THIS T-SHIRT ABOVE HERE

Here is a guide for what to wear to Thanksgiving dinner this year:

1. Start with a shirt in breathable fabric like jersey knit or cotton.

2.Then layer a light cardigan or collared shirt over that and finally a denim, leather or cotton blazer.

How to dress your bump

3.For the bottom, go with a comfy pair of dressy leggings or denim maternity stretch jeans with a pair of red ballet flats.

4. Carry a large clutch to hold your stuff and then work it!

Stylish and comfy!

5 things NOT to wear at Thanksgiving!

Have fun and good luck enduring the endless belly rubs and all the love!!!

0 comments

Useful Tips on Maternity Wear Options These Days

Posted on November 22, 2019

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

When you find out you’re expecting, besides adjusting your diet, exercise and sleep pattern, ingesting prenatal vitamins and visiting the doc more regularly, you know you’ll have to adjust your wardrobe at some point. Fortunately for you, the industry has evolved over the years so that there are a lot more options available to you.

Nursing dresses

A nursing dress is usually designed in such a way that it makes it easy for a mother to breastfeed her baby. When buying a maternity dress, you should ensure that it is not very tight for better comfort. The color and design of the dress should be chosen out of personal taste and preference. You can visit the internet, where you can find displayed maternity clothing online. That will give you a wide variety of nursing dress designs to choose from.

Special events maternity dresses

Perhaps you have a special event coming up soon, and you have no idea what you should wear on that day. This is very common with women that are having a baby for the first time. You can check out different online stores that deal with maternity attires for ideas. Several of them will have colorful and high-quality maternity attire that are meant for special occasions.

Maternity night dresses

You are probably used to the typical kind of nightdresses, but suddenly you realize that they no longer fit. Unfortunately, all the clothes that you have do not feel comfortable sleeping in. This should not worry you since there are specially made maternity dresses that you can sleep in. These types of night gowns are mostly made out of comfortable and light material for better sleep.

Maternity shapewear

If you have a formal event you have to attend, you might want to tighten up some parts of your body (not your belly though and here is where maternity shape wear comes into play). They cinch your legs, hips and thighs but not your belly like traditional shape wear would. Also, if you are the kind of person who is enthusiastic and excited about physical exercises, then the good news is that there are maternity athleisurewear wear and work out great that are made for that exact purpose. Just like training and athletic wear, these kinds of pieces are made of a particular type of material that will allow you to exercise and stay in shape.

T-shirts

T-shirts are some of the most relaxed attires that you can wear when pregnant, and they are available in various stores selling maternity clothing online. The good thing about the online stores is that you can get to pick the type of t-shirt you want, and that will have it delivered to your address.

Good luck moms to be!

0 comments

A Maternity Fashion Buying Guide

Posted on June 21, 2019

So you have just found out you’re pregnant – congratulations!

Now comes all of the planning for the next few hectic months ahead of you. You don’t just have to prepare everything for your new babe to come, you have to find clothes that will fit you throughout this momentous period of transition in your life.

You may not know where to start, though, so here’s a beginner’s guide to maternity fashion and how to buy the right pieces for you.

Wear what you have until you can’t

It is virtually impossible to predict how your body will change when you’re pregnant, so it’s a good idea not to go crazy and shop the minute you find out you are expecting. As a way to save some money and some extra stress, only go shopping for maternity clothes until you cannot fit in your old clothes anymore. Chances are, some of the pieces you have can be easily modified to be a bit more forgiving while you grow.

Don’t look at the sizes

Only buy what pieces really fit you properly and make you feel good! Your body will grow and change at different rates, so your clothing needs to be comfortable throughout your entire pregnancy. Don’t get caught up in maternity sizes, as they aren’t as accurate a descriptor as they claim to be. Try a few different sizes of jeans, tops, and outer layers to get a good baseline on what feels comfortable and go from there.

Keep your fashion sense

Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you have to change your fashion self. Gone are the days where pregnant mothers had to wear oversized and draped outfits that were not flattering. Nowadays, there are plenty of clothing options for you to pick from no matter your style. Plus, you don’t want to buy items you don’t feel confident in because, let’s be honest, they’ll just sit in your closet eventually anyway.

Purchase for after the pregnancy

Your body may not be able to bounce back as soon as you’d hope for after giving birth. Fortunately, maternity clothes are able to work during this transitional period, and can give you extra room and comfort while you’re working to get your body back on track. Items like maternity dresses and jeans, for example, are wonderful pieces that you can use long after the birth of your child.

Be prepared to invest in underwear

You most likely will have to invest in more underwear than any other category of clothing in your wardrobe. Be prepared to change your underwear structure every few months or so. For example, for the first three months of your pregnancy you should choose stretchy, breathable fabric for your bras as your breasts will swell a lot during this period. From three to eight months, look for a nursing bra with a thicker band to accommodate for your expanding rib cage and, for your last month or so of pregnancy, buy your bra cup size larger than usual and a smaller band size. This will be useful as your ribcage returns back to normal after giving birth.

Stock up on shoes with natural material

Shoes made of natural material, such as leather, cotton, or woven linen, will be a wonderful addition to your maternity wardrobe. These shoes are more likely to expand with your swollen feet and ankles and ensure you’re comfortable at every stage of pregnancy. Remember, you’ll be keeping all of those heels in your closet and only investing in flat shoes.

With these tips in mind, you can take the guesswork out of maternity fashion. So get out there and go shopping. It’s time to pamper yourself, mom!

0 comments